


The Sick Oracle

by Dragoncat (Dragoncat1991)



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-24 08:04:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17096939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragoncat1991/pseuds/Dragoncat
Summary: Master Hand has brought in new fighters! But different worlds have different chemical makeups, and it appears that the Hub lacks something that's needed for one of them.





	The Sick Oracle

It was a typical day in the Smash Hub. Master Hand had brought in some new fighters recently. Two of them had bonded nearly right away, because they both came from worlds with doomed futures and were determined to do everything in their power to prevent the doom. Shulk and Lucina enjoyed each other's company, but couldn't be roomed together due to the rules put in place to prevent cross world crossbreeding. Even if they didn't like each other in that way, rules were rules. Shulk was in with Link instead, and they had become like brothers. Lucina had a room to herself, and she was fine with that.

Shulk leaned against one of the pillars in the Skyworld stage, looking down at the clouds below. Today's match had him and Lucina against Ike and Pit. They were really high up! And even with his better understanding of tech than Lucina, he still couldn't explain the portals Master Hand used to her. Nor could he assure her he could never see her father, Chrom, being hurt. He told her his visions didn't work that way. But she seemed to forget all the time.

"You look worried about something." Lucina came up behind him. He turned and shrugged. "I've never felt uneasy from being high up before."

Lucina blinked. "I don't like heights myself. But I'm surprised. You live on a dead giant titan thing that's still standing. You must climb on its head all the time."

"I don't climb on its head all the time. But yes, I do climb in general. This is weird."

"Really weird." Lucina agreed. "Excited for our first team up? This stage is modeled after Pit's home, by the way. It may give his team a bit of an advantage."

"I don't know." Shulk shifted his weight slightly. "Last time I was on the Gaur Plains stage and Metal Face showed up I just about had a heart attack. Master Hand 'forgot' to tell me he'd brought him in as a stage hazard."

Lucina chuckled. "Man, that guy can blab your ear off. He's worse than my cousin. He's your enemy though, I know that. So I imagine you would have that reaction."

"ALL FIGHTERS TO THEIR ASSIGNED STARTING POSITIONS!"

Lucina gave Shulk a quick wave and walked over to her spot. The other team was here as well, and Pit had been jumping around like he had ants in his pants for the past twenty minutes.

"INTRODUCING THE RED TEAM! LUCINA, 'CHALLENGER OF FATE'!"

A spotlight shined on Lucina. She grabbed her sword, Falchion, and gave it a quick swish.

"SHULK, 'ORACLE'!"

Shulk still startled a bit at the spotlight, despite being used to it by now. He always thought a show off move at the beginning of the match was kind of stupid, but it was better than standing there like a blob. He took the Monado from its clip on his back and let the laser blade out while in a fighting stance.

"INTRODUCING THE BLUE TEAM! PIT, 'SHINING WINGS'!"

The angel grabbed his bow/daggers combo, put it in dagger mode, and gave the air a few slices.

"IKE, 'BLUE FLAME'!"

The swordsman let his big golden blade, Ragnell, rest on his shoulder while staring into the distance.

"GO!"

Lucina lunged forward with her sword drawn. Ike struck the ground with Ragnell, sending up a small pillar of fire that Lucina ran right into. She was faster, however, so she was able to get in three swift strikes before Pit flew over and spun his bow daggers, shielding his teammate. Shulk came up from behind Ike and used his back slash move. Pit launched himself into the air. Ike turned and prepared to strike, but was then distracted by a star shaped projectile hitting him. Lucina had found a star rod. Shulk took a step forward, then had a sudden bout of dizziness and faceplanted on the ground.

Lucina ran over to her teammate. He looked up at her. "Call the match off, I suddenly don't feel so good..."

"What do you mean, you don't feel so good?"

"I feel like everything I ate today is going to come back up."

Lucina ran over to the edge of the stage and pushed the "no contest" button on a pillar.

"NO CONTEST!"

The announcer's words made Ike blink. "Lucina, is there something wrong?"

"I'm going to need you to carry Shulk through the portal and to the infirmary." Lucina told him. "I probably can't lift him, and I doubt Pit can either."

Ike stared at the collapsed Oracle. Pit swooped down and landed. "What happened to Shulk?"

"I don't know, he just faceplanted and said he feels sick." Lucina said. "Ike's gonna have to carry him, I don't think he's moving on his own."

"Ugh. Okay." Ike rolled his eyes and hoisted Shulk over his shoulders. Shulk tensed and shivered. "You gonna make it?" Ike asked. "Eat some bad meat or something? I told you, eating those meat and sauce and cheese pastries cold isn't good for you."

"It's called pizza. And please, just get me to the infirmary..."

"Okay, but I'm serious. Eating cold meat is weird!"

\----

Link was pacing back and forth in front of the portal from the stages to the Hub Central. News traveled fast, so several fighters had dropped what they'd been doing, concerned about the Oracle. The villains generally couldn't care less, but quite a few of the heroes always tended to welcome new arrivals with open arms. Shulk was no exception. And Link, as his roommate, was the most concerned of them all.

"Hope he's alright." Samus said. "I'd miss him if something really bad happened. And just between you and me, Link...his foreign accent is really adorable. He's like you, doesn't talk much, but I'd listen to him all day."

"Samus! You know the rules!" Link scolded. "Besides, he's already got a serious relationship back home."

"Wow, he does? And yeah, of course I know the rules. I just said his accent is cute, that's all."

"He does, yes. Her name's Fiora, long story short they were childhood friends and they've gotten through many hardships together." Link paused and smiled. "You should see him when she calls him on one of those communicators Master Hand gives out. He just acts so happy. I heard her voice, she's got the same accent. Which is expected."

At that moment, Lucina, Pit, and Ike with Shulk over his shoulders arrived through the portal. Upon seeing Dr. Mario, Ike set Shulk down on his feet. "Here's your patient, Doc."

Dr. Mario scratched his chin. "I understand he collapsed in the middle of a match. And was feeling lightheaded, correct? Has he had any more serious symptoms? Chills, sweating, vomiting?"

Shulk keeled over and vomited on the floor, then shakingly moved to sit down away from the puddle, looking extremely embarrassed.

"That answers that question. Somebody help me with this stretcher, let's get him to the infirmary."

Both Link and Lucina jumped up to help. Dr. Mario smiled. "He's lucky to have a couple of good friends like you. I'll give him something for nausea and watch him for a day or so."

But a day later, Shulk's condition had not improved, and was actually getting worse. Dr. Mario stood in front of Master Hand in his office. "I'm at my wit's end. Nausea pills didn't work, nor did nausea suppositories. I ran a blood test, everything is normal. Fed him chicken noodle soup and the chicken and noodles came out one end and the broth came out the other. He looks like death warmed over."

"I have never had a fighter get this sick before." Master Hand said. "Perhaps I should send him home."

"He's got friends here who would miss him. It may be a good idea to bring in a medical professional from his world to help me out. Perhaps he's got an illness that's world specific."

Master Hand made a shrugging motion, or at least it looked like shrugging. It was hard to tell with a literal giant hand. "I am searching his home...found someone. A travel companion of his who's a field medic. I will send for her immediately."

When the help arrived, Dr. Mario scoffed. "Is it typical for medical professionals where you're from to wear such revealing clothing?"

"Well, greetings to you too." The woman folded her arms. "At least ask for my name first! It's Sharla. And I am also a soldier, so I wear things that are easy to move around in." Brief, awkward pause. "I think I may know what's going on with Shulk just from the description. But I will tell you after he's treated."

Shulk raised his head weakly at the sound of the door opening. He seemed to perk up slightly at the sight of his friend from home. "...Sharla?"

"Oh, Shulk, you poor thing! You're pale as a ghost!"

"I got my blood drawn today, it was horrible...I haven't eaten all day and most of yesterday...can't keep anything down...feel like I got hit by a tank."

Sharla reached into a bag of medical supplies and pulled out a shot needle. "Sorry to tell you this, but...this kind of shot can only go in the butt. It's ether restorer. Your symptoms line up perfectly with ether shortage."

Shulk's eyes widened into a couple of blue disks. "Oh Bionis you're completely serious. The butt. Really?"

"It will also knock you out and you'll sleep while your system goes to work." Sharla paused. "Oh and by the way, I'm missing the Colony 6 reclaiming festival, so don't you ever say I don't value you as a friend."

\----

"...So, you see, every life form from the Bionis has ether. It is our lifeforce, just as important as the air we breathe. It is in the air, but clearly not in the air here. Luckily, it can also be consumed in food, or vitamins. Shulk will be fine as long as you keep his ether levels stable. Vitamins would be the easiest method."

Master Hand seemed intrigued by Sharla's explanation. "I can easily allow these ether vitamins into the Hub."

"Thanks for your help." Dr. Mario said. "I couldn't find any way to help him. Would he have died eventually?"

Sharla nodded. "He probably would have. But you know of ether now, so you're good."

"His system is the same as that of every humanoid otherwise, correct?" Master Hand asked.

"Correct. I'm intrigued that there is life in other worlds that doesn't need ether." Sharla glanced out the window. Several stages, replicas of various locations from various worlds, floated in giant bubbles. "Oh! I recognize one of those! Gaur Plains!"

"The stages are modeled with great care and accuracy." Master Hand sounded proud. "By rights, Gaur Plains would have ether in its bubble. If I had known, I would have put Shulk there until you showed up so he wouldn't be so weak when you got here. You may stay for a bit if you wish."

From that day forward, Master Hand would research the worlds for longer before bringing anyone in, paying close attention to chemical makeups of the inhabitants. Shulk took an ether vitamin every day with his breakfast, and the Hub continued to operate and thrive.


End file.
